Vehicle garment rack

ABSTRACT

A garment rack for a vehicle. The rack includes a horizontal rod for clothes hangers. The front end of the horizontal rod is pivotally supported on the upper end of a vertical rod positioned behind the front seat of the vehicle. The upper end of the vertical rod is secured behind the headrest of the front seat, and the rear end of the horizontal rod is removably attached to the top of the headrest of the rear seat. The horizontal rod is adjustable telescopically so that, as the front or rear seat is moved forward or backward, the rod extends and retracts automatically. The height of the vertical rod also is adjustable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No.62/576,419 entitled “Vehicle Garment Rack,” filed Oct. 24, 2017, thecontents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to racks for supporting clothing items invehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a partof the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the presentinvention and, together with this description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. The drawings merely illustrate a preferredembodiment of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting thescope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle garment rack made inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention and installedbetween the front and rear seats in a vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vehicle garment rack in thefully extended position.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged fragmented view of the pivotal joint between thehorizontal rod and vertical leg.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the vehicle garment rack shown inFIG. 2 in the retracted position.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the vehicle garment rack shown inFIG. 2 in the retracted and folded position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, exploded view of the vertical leg of the garmentrack.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, exploded view of the horizontal leg of thegarment rack.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hinge.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of an alternate foot assembly.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the alternate foot assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the socket of the foot assembly of FIG.8.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the foot of the alternate foot assemblyof FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Since the automobile became a common mode of transportation, those usingit have often needed to carry clothing and other hanging items to andfrom their destinations. Many types of vehicle clothes racks have beendeveloped to provide a way to carry clothes on hangers and avoid theneed to fold and pack the clothing in luggage. The vehicle clothes rackof the present invention offers many advantages over conventional racks.

The inventive clothes rack, shown schematically in FIG. 1 and designatedgenerally at 10, is designed for use in any vehicle with at least tworows of seats. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the vehicle includes a frontseat F and a back seat B, both of which are supported on a floor F. Theback seat B is behind and longitudinally aligned with the front seat F,which may be either the driver's seat or a passenger seat. It will beunderstood that the rack 10 is equally suited for use between a secondrow and a third row of seats in a larger vehicle or van with three ormore rows of seats. Thus, “front seat” and “back seat,” as used herein,refer to the relative positions of the seats to each other; “front seat”is not limited to the first row of seating, and “back seat” is notlimited to the rearmost seats in the vehicle. Thus, the rack 10 adaptsequally well to sedans, sport utility vehicles, vans, and even to truckswith at least one back seat in the cab.

The rack 10 extends longitudinally between the back of the front seat Fto the head rest or top of the back seat B. This arrangement preventsthe rack 10 and any clothes on it from obscuring the rear view of thedriver. This arrangement also prevents the clothes rack 10 fromoccupying the entire back seat; even when supporting numerous clothingitems, there is still room for at least one and possibly two passengersin the back seat.

As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment the rack 10 comprises a horizontalrod 12 and a front support, such as the vertical leg 14. The horizontalrod 12 has a front end 18 and a rear end 20 and may comprise two or moretelescopically engaged tubular members as described in more detailhereafter. The rear end 20 of the horizontal rod 12 is removablyconnectable to the top of the back seat B. Hook and loop fasteners arean effective connector for this purpose. A ring 22 a of hook and loopfastener may be provided on the rear end 20 of the rod 12, and a patchor strip 22 b of mating hook and loop fastener (FIGS. 2-4) may beapplied to the top of the back seat B. While details of construction mayvary, it is ideal for the telescoping tubular member to move slidablyrelative to each with little resistance as this will allow extension andretraction of the rod 12 in response to movement of the front and backseats of the vehicle.

Referring still to FIG. 1, the vertical leg 14 has a top end 24 and abottom end 26. A pivotal joint 30 connects the front end 18 of thehorizontal rod 12 and the top end 24 of the vertical leg 14. Toaccommodate various sizes of seats, the vertical leg 14 may belongitudinally adjustable in the directions of the arrow 32. To thatend, the leg 14 may comprise at least two telescopically engaged tubularmembers and a twist lock connector, as described below.

The vertical leg 14 is removably and adjustably connectable to the frontseat F. For this purpose, the rack 10 may include a simple strap or loop34. By way of example, the strap 34 may connect to itself or to thevertical leg 14 using hook and loop fasteners (not shown). In mostmodern vehicles, the headrest of the front seat F is adjustably mountedon at least one post and often two vertically extending posts (notshown). Conveniently, the front support strap 34 may be configured toattach the top end 24 of the vertical leg 14 to the headrest mountingpost, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The strap 34 preferably is configured towrap around one or both of the vertical posts that support the headrestof the front seat.

The bottom end 26 of the vertical leg 14 is engageable with the floor Fof the vehicle, as explained more fully below. Now it will be apparentthat the horizontal rod 12 and the vertical leg 14 are configured sothat the weight of clothing and other items on the horizontal rod 12will be transferred to the floor F and thus the chassis of the vehicle.

With continuing reference to FIG. 1, the operation of the garment rack10 will be explained. In most vehicles, the seats F and B are adjustablelongitudinally in the directions of the arrows 40 and 42. With thevertical leg 14 secured to the front seat F by the strap 34, and therear end 20 of the horizontal leg 12 secured to the top of the back seatB by the fastener ring 22, the horizontal leg will automatically extendor retract in the direction of the arrow 44 in response to longitudinalmovement of either the front seat F or the back seat B.

It is also common for the degree of tilt of the seat back to beadjustable to increase or decrease the angles indicated at 46 and 48 inboth the front and back seats F and B, respectively. As the tilt angleof either seat F or B is adjusted, the length of the horizontal rod 12simultaneously adjusts as well. In addition, the joint 30 also allowsautomatic adjustment of the angle formed by the rod 12 and the verticalleg 14, indicated at 50. Thus, even when the rack 10 is installed in thevehicle and loaded with clothing items, neither longitudinal positioningof the seats nor tilt adjustment of the seat backs is inhibited. Thereis no need to separately adjust the position of the rack 10 when eitherseat F or B is repositioned.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the construction of the rack 10 also simplifiesstorage and transport of the rack. The rack 10 is shown in its fullyextended position in FIG. 2. The three tubular members 12 a, 12 b, and12 c (FIG. 2) of the horizontal rod 12 are extended to their maximumlength, as are the two tubular members 14 a and 14 b of the vertical leg14 (FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2A, the joint 30 may have an angled slopeat 30 a in the extended position; this allows improved range of movementof the front seat back and head rest. FIG. 3 shows the rack with the rod12 and leg 14 collapsed, and FIG. 4 shows the collapsed leg and rodfolded together. The strap 34 may be used to tie the two memberstogether.

Turning now to FIG. 5, one preferred construction of the horizontal rod12 will be described. As indicated previously, the rod 12 may comprisethree telescopically arranged tubular members 12 a, 12 b, and 12 c (FIG.2). These tubular members may be formed of any suitable material, suchcarbon steel or aluminum. Annular inserts 54 and 56 may be included atthe joints, and an end cap 58 may be provided to close the rear end 20of the tubular member 12 c. The inserts 54 and 56 and end cap 58 may beformed of nylon or other suitable composite material. The front end 18of the member 12 a connects to the joint 30 as explained hereafter.Although not depicted in the drawings, the inserts 54 and 56 may becrimped to the horizontal members 12 a and 12 b, or otherwise formed, toprevent inadvertent separation of the tubes.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the vertical leg 14. As describedabove, the leg 14 may comprise two telescopically arranged tubularmembers 14 a and 14 b (FIG. 2). These tubular members may be formed ofany suitable material, such carbon steel or aluminum. The upper end 24of the member 14 b connects to the joint 30 as explained hereafter.Longitudinal adjustment of the length of the leg 14 may be provided byusing an internal “twist lock” mechanism 60 of conventionalconstruction. This allows the length of the leg 14 to be easily changedand then secured in position. The adjustment mechanism should beselected to provide the strength necessary to support the weight of afully loaded horizontal rod 12.

A foot 64 may be included at the bottom end 26 of the member 14 a. Theparticular shape and mode of attachment to the leg 14 may vary. In thisembodiment, the foot 64 has a stem 66 that is insertable into the bottomof the member 14 and secured by crimping or other suitable technique.Ideally, the foot 64 will be secured in a manner that permits the footto rotate along its vertical axis X. Additionally, it is advantageousfor the bottom 68 of the foot to be curved; this will allow the foot torock forward or backward slightly as the vertical leg 14 leans forwardor backward when the rack 10 is being adjusted.

With reference now to FIG. 7, a suitable pivot joint 30 is shown. Inthis embodiment, the joint 30 is a common “knuckle” joint, but the typeand configuration of the joint may vary. It is desirable for the joint30 to be fixed permanently or semi-permanently to the front end 18 ofthe horizontal rod 12 and removably attached to the top end 24 of thevertical leg 14, or vice versa. In the embodiment shown, the joint 30 isfixed to the front end 18 of the rod 12.

The preferred joint 30 includes a releasable slip fit connection. Asseen in FIG. 7, the joint may include a male member 30 a extending fromthe joint 30 and a female member 30 b to be secured in the open end 24of the vertical leg member 14 b, although this arrangement could bereversed. In this way, the front end 18 of the rod 12 can simply belifted off the top end 24 of the vertical leg 14, as illustrated in FIG.7. Now it will be appreciated that with this “lift out” connection atthe joint 30 and the simple hook-and-loop fastener holding the rear end20 of the rod 12 to the top of the back seat B, the horizontal rod 12can be lifted off the leg 14 and the back seat even with clothing itemshanging on it. This allows all the hanging items and the rod 12 to beremoved from the vehicle and carried together as a unit to anotherlocation. Returning briefly to FIG. 2A, a stop 70 may be provided on thetop of the joint 30 (or on the front end 18 of the horizontal rod 12) toprevent the clothes hangers from slipping off the front of the rack 10.

An alternate foot assembly 74 is shown in FIGS. 8-11. The foot assembly74 comprises a similar foot member 76 that cooperates with a socket 78.The foot 76 has a stem 80 with a circumferential groove 82. The socket78 is a generally longitudinal half of a cylinder with a flange 84,while the stem 80 is a full cylinder. Thus, the groove 82 in the stem 80receives the flange 84 formed inside the socket 78. Once assembled, thesocket 78 is glued inside the end 26 of the leg member 14 a. This allowsthe foot member 76 to rotate freely inside the socket 78 and yet besecured against axial movement, that is, removal of the stem 80 from thesocket 78 is prevented once the foot assembly 74 is secured in position.Again, the bottom 86 of the foot 76 may be curved; this will allow thefoot to rock forward or backward slightly as the vertical leg 14 leansforward or backward when the rack 10 is being adjusted.

The embodiments shown and described above are exemplary. Many detailsare often found in the art and, therefore, many such details are neithershown nor described herein. It is not claimed that all of the details,parts, elements, or steps described and shown herein are newly invented.Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape,size, and arrangement of the parts, within the principles of theinvention to the full extent indicated by the broad meaning of the termsin the attached claims. The description and drawings of the specificembodiments herein do not point out what an infringement of this patentwould be, but rather provide non-limiting examples of how to use andmake the invention. Likewise, the abstract is neither intended to definethe invention, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to belimiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. The limits of theinvention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by anddefined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment rack for a vehicle, wherein the vehiclecomprises a front seat with a headrest, the headrest of the front seatbeing adjustably mounted on at least one post, and a back seat with atop, the back seat being aligned with and behind the front seat, andboth the front and back seat being supported on a floor, the garmentrack comprising: a horizontal rod having a front end and a rear end, thehorizontal rod comprising at least two telescopically engaged tubularmembers, and wherein the rear end is removably connectable to the top ofthe rear seat; a front support comprising a vertical leg having a topend and a bottom end; a front support strap configured to removablyattach the top end of the vertical leg of the front support to theheadrest mounting post; and a pivotal joint between the front end of thehorizontal rod and the front support.
 2. The garment rack of claim 1wherein the bottom end of the vertical leg is engageable with the floorof the vehicle and wherein the horizontal rod and the vertical leg areconfigured so that the weight on the garment rack is transferred to thefloor of the vehicle.
 3. The garment rack of claim 2 wherein the bottomend of the vertical leg comprises a foot.
 4. The garment rack of claim 3wherein the foot has a curved bottom.
 5. The garment rack of claim 4wherein the foot is rotatably attached to the bottom end of the verticalleg.
 6. The garment rack of claim 1 wherein the pivotal joint is aknuckle joint.
 7. The garment rack of claim 1 wherein the vertical legis longitudinally adjustable.
 8. The garment rack of claim 7 wherein thevertical leg comprises at least two telescopically engaged tubularmembers and a twist lock connector.
 9. The garment rack of claim 1wherein the two telescopically engaged tubular members of the horizontalrod are slidably engaged to allow extension and retraction in responseto movement of the front and back seats of the vehicle.
 10. The garmentrack of claim 1 wherein the joint is fixed to one of the front end ofthe horizontal rod and the top end of the vertical leg and is removablyattached to the other one of the front end of the horizontal rod and thetop end of the vertical leg.
 11. The garment rack of claim 10 whereinthe joint comprises a male member on one of the joint and the top end ofthe vertical leg and a female member on the other one of the joint andthe top end of the vertical leg thereby forming a releasable slip fitconnection.
 12. The garment rack of claim 1 further comprising a hookand loop fastener on the rear end of the horizontal rod and a matinghook and loop fastener attachable to the top of the back seat.
 13. Thegarment rack of claim 12 wherein the joint is fixed to one of the frontend of the horizontal rod and the top end of the vertical leg and isremovably attached to the other one of the front end of the horizontalrod and the top end of the vertical leg, wherein the joint comprises amale member on one of the joint or the top end of the vertical leg and afemale member on the other one of the joint or the top end of thevertical leg thereby forming a releasable slip fit connection, wherebythe horizontal rod is removable by only lifting the horizontal rod todisengage the hook and loop fasteners at the rear end of the rod and toseparate the slip fit connection between the front end of the horizontalrod and the top end of the vertical leg.
 14. A vehicle equipped with thegarment rack of claim 1.